In 1629 the area that would become Waldoboro was granted to John Beauchamp of London and Thomas Leverett of Boston, England and was known as the Muscongus Patent.[7] The patent lay dormant until 1719 when Leverett’s great-grandson, John Leverett, President of Harvard College, revived the ancient claim and formed the Lincolnshire Proprietors, also known as the Ten Proprietors, so named for the ten shares distributed, one to each member. General Samuel Waldo of Boston acquired a controlling interest in the patent in 1729 and it henceforward become known as the Waldo Patent.[8][9]

As of the census[5] of 2010, there were 5,075 people, 2,171 households, and 1,364 families residing in the town. The population density was 71.0 inhabitants per square mile (27.4/km2). There were 2,651 housing units at an average density of 37.1 per square mile (14.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% White, 0.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 2,171 households of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.2% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.85.

The median age in the town was 43.5 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

There were 1,983 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.91.

Old German Lutheran Church, built 1792, as it appeared c. 1905

In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,830, and the median income for a family was $41,042. Males had a median income of $30,788 versus $22,462 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,117. About 9.7% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Ezra B. French,U.S. Representative 1859-1861, Maine House of Representatives 1838–1840, Maine Senate 1842–1845, Secretary of State of Maine 1845–1850, bank commissioner and worked as a newspaper editor in 1856, assisted in organizing the Republican Party in 1856.

^R.H. Howard and Henry E. Crocker, ed., A History of New England: Containing Historical and Descriptive Sketches of the Counties, Cities, and Principal Towns of the Six New England States, Vol. 2, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont (Boston: Crocker and Company, Publishers, 1881), p. 122.